I've been shooting a Makarov since 1990 or so. Brass was once difficult to find so I started by trimming Parabellum brass. It works just fine. I always felt a little guilty losing brass because someone would be in for a surprise if reloading the trimmed brass. My Mak's throw it 50 ft. Now I buy Starline and save the trouble. Trimmed 9mm brass will work fine though.

I do. It works just fine. I paint the case heads with a Magic Marker or fingernail polish to make them easier to find -- I hate leaving one behind.

It's been a while since I trimmed a batch of them; I *think* it works best if you decap them with a universal decapper or a pin punch (I just use a .45 Colt die) then expand the necks with a 9x18 expander, and then trim them. Then you can resize them with a 9x18 sizer die.

It's a lot of work, but it goes pretty fast once you get going. Not worth it if you lose most of them in the grass.

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I have a great Czech Makarov (or CZ-82) which I love, and will be reloading ammo for soon.
Has anyone here done that...and maybe give a new reloader advise. please?

I have. It does work. It's a royal PITA to trim, deburr and chamfer any significant number with a hand powered trimmer.

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The Makarov uses a different bullet diameter. If it's a .380, I think I'd still buy brass.

Trim once fired brass. .365 vs. .355 won't be a problem.

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maybe give a new reloader advise. please?

For even more fun, cast your bullets from Lee's 9mm Mak mold.

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"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

one of the things I like about the mak is its cheap enough not to have to reload
silver bear hp $12.50 a box and am also saving up the 9mm rounds with military markings for when I start reloading for it that way at least they don’t say luger on them will be a lot easier to keep them separate that way

Last edited by ronz; May 15, 2012 at 12:44 AM.
Reason: posted in wrong spot

If you cast your own Mak bullets, then you can have a fun & challenging time using .380acp 9x17 brass, or Mak 9X18 brass, or trimmed 9mil 9x19 brass when you reload. The Mak Pistol is solid. Experiment and have some fun. Send us pics and keep use posted on your progress.

After some 30 years, I finally found a boat load of inexpensive .380acp brass. Now I load-up 9mil bullets with 9mil powder and 9mil primers and go out and experience .380acp fun at 9mil prices.

have trimmed 9 luger brass for some time.it does take some time.and yes
my p64 and cz throw it into space.seems like i never recover it.
reloaded about 500 from range brass and berry's 95gr with bullsye.
i just bought 500 rounds of factory,because it was cheep and did not feel like trimming.
i did think of getting some startline-but if i loose most of it,id be po'd cause im cheap.
so the other day i started to trim again.

With brass flying that far from a CZ82, or P-64 (or anything), perhaps a stronger recoil spring would be in order... or slightly lighter reloads. I don't shoot my 9x18 guns much so don't reload for them. I just get the cheap Ruskie steel cased stuff.

__________________Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

To date I've converted about 600 or so 9mm cases to 9 x 18 Mak. it's one of the easiest cartridge case conversion there is to do especial with all that free 9mm brass lying around. Before 9mm Mak. brass was available one of the older Speer reloading manuals actualy used the process of trimming down once fired 9mm brass for cases.

I trim my cases with a Lyman lathe trimmer that I added the optional powder adapter to,paid around $15 for it several years ago,it makes short work of trimming lots of cases. To identify my 9mm vs. Mak. cases I simply run the tip of a sharpie around the groove of the primed primer pockets on the Mak. cases.

Some other option are to use nickel plated case for the Mak. brass or use a differ brand of primer with a brass,copper old Wolf SP primer or nickel plated cup material. This allow you to sort your brass before tumbling.

I'm lucky enough to be able to shoot in the back yard so no worries about somebody getting there hands on my converted cases. I use a cable stretched along my shooting lane with a old trampoline net that about 10 ft. high and 15 ft. long to knock down my brass.

I think, if I decided to reload 9x18, I'd just get some cheap .prvi boxer primed stuff (< $14 for box of 50) and reload that brass before I'd start fashioning 9x19 brass to suit my needs. Sure is more fun to shoot it than cut it.

__________________Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

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